title: Cissus quadrangularis reduces joint pain in exercise-trained men: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Strenuous, high-volume exercise is often associated with inflammation and joint pain. Cissus quadrangularis (CQ) has been reported to have anti-inflammatory activity. The purpose of our study was to determine the therapeutic effects of CQ supplementation in healthy, exercise-trained men with joint-specific pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-nine men between the ages of 20 and 46 years, who reportedly experienced chronic joint pain as a result of strenuous exercise, participated in our pilot study. All men received CQ 3200 mg daily for 8 weeks. Before and after the 8-week intervention period, subjects completed a questionnaire to determine their degree of joint pain (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Index of Osteoarthritis [WOMAC]). Clinical measures (eg, heart rate, blood pressure, blood biomarkers) were also collected for each subject pre- (baseline) and post-intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subject ratings for multiple variables within the WOMAC Index improved (decreased) significantly (P < 0.05), with the subject mean total WOMAC score decreasing from 25.4 ± 2.4 to 17.4 ± 2.1 (~31%), pre- to post-intervention. No clinical measure was significantly impacted by use of CQ supplementation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An 8-week course of supplementation with CQ reduced joint pain in a sample of 29 young, otherwise healthy, exercise-trained men. Additional study is needed to extend these findings, including comparison with a placebo-controlled cohort, and possibly, examining effects of CQ use in women and older adult subjects.
authors.affiliation: Cardiorespiratory/Metabolic Laboratory, Department of Health and Sport Sciences, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN. rbloomer@memphis.edu.
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Bloomer
authors.forename: Tyler M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Farney
authors.forename: Cameron G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: Sang-Rok
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D032422:Cissus; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations